Turbine engines have long been employed in medium and high speed aircraft. Such engines conventionally employ power take-off shafts which extend to a gear box. The gear box, in turn, provides for distribution of power from the engine to other system components. For example, the gear box typically will provide power to an integrated drive generator (IDG), one or more hydraulic pumps, a fuel pump or fuel distribution system, etc. In addition, a starter for the engine, such as an air starter, may be connected to the engine via the gear box.
The continuing trend towards increased efficiency of such systems necessitates (1) the minimization of weight, (2) the optimization of aerodynamic profile, and (3) the minimization of heat rejection due to churning losses in associated hydraulic systems. These goals must be achieved while maintaining or enhancing the reliability of the system. Conventional gear box assemblies supply power to self-contained IDG's which typically have their own oil system including pumps, oil coolers and the like. Careful oil level management is required in such systems in order to limit the amount of heat generated by churning oil in the generator air gap and in the gearing of a constant speed drive conventionally associated therewith while all the while guaranteeing system operability for all attitudes of the aircraft of which the system is part.
Further, arranging all of the IDG components in a single packet may limit the degree to which the aerodynamic profile of the package may be optimized for minimal frontal area of the engine nacelle to minimize aerodynamic drag.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the above problems.